Yellow Ostrich frontman Alex Schaaf began his musical journey with a stereotypical, if not already pre-formatted, conquest to disband from his Wisconsin home and head to Brooklyn. With the hope of shining among the fluorescents within the talent-tube of light, Schaaf’s youthful energy, whimsical voice and trembling floor tom rolls attracted listeners like insects transfixed on that fateful glow.
After touring as a supporting act alongside Ra Ra Riot and Delicate Steve, Yellow Ostrich has penetrated the barrier of doubt with the release of their latest album, Strange Land, and diminished critics’ uncertainty of their ability to produce constant, sophisticated songwriting.
Yellow Ostrich is in the midst of their first headlining tour, and they will trot their oversized bird legs into the heart of Benson on Monday, April 2, to play at the Waiting Room Lounge alongside Howler. For more info on the show, click here.
Hear Nebraska: I heard the name Yellow Ostrich came about due to a dream. Can you go into detail about the dream and how it stood out to the point to coin the name of the band?
Alex Schaaf: I was running through a field when a blue ostrich started running next to me. I looked over and he waved. Then we fell into a giant pool of yellow paint. When we surfaced, I looked at him and he winked at me. Then I woke up and recorded the first Yellow Ostrich album in three hours.
HN: With the release of each album there seems to be a deeper dynamic that infiltrates the music. This could be due to the addition of Michael and John, but what type of new routes do you strive to expand on, or learn from with each release?
AS: I think we're always just trying to do something new. I hate repeating myself, and so I always try to take what I did in the past and expand on it, in order to make something different. The last album was kind of limited sonically, and so with this album I wanted to open it up and get deeper.
HN: What was it specifically, and maybe outside of music, that influenced Strange Land?
AS: A lot of it was influenced by my move from Wisconsin to New York City, and just the big changes that came along with doing that. It was also influenced by listening to a lot of Neil Young.
HN: During a recent live show, I noticed that looped vocals in a James Blake-esque sort of way were being used more prevalently than, for instance, on the recording of the beginning of “Marathon Runner.” What is the biggest difference between a live performance from Yellow Ostrich than simply listening to the record?
AS: Well on the last album (The Mistress), it's all looped vocals, so the live show actually features a lot less looped vocals than normal. When we started, it was all looped vocals, but we've moved away from that a lot. "Marathon Runner" is the only song that really has any on the new album.
But the live show should always be different from the record, since they are two different things that require different approaches. I like being loud and aggressive at a live show, since it's a different kind of emotional release than when you record something.
HN: This being your first headlining tour, the show at the Empty Bottle in Chicago a couple weeks ago seemed very well attended. As a whole, how do you feel the tour has been thus far?
AS: The tour has been great, there have been a lot more people at the shows than we expected. It's exciting to be doing a headlining tour, so that we either succeed or fail on our own terms, and not just be an opening band for once.
HN: What are the biggest changes you see going from a supporting to a headlining act?
AS: It's just nice because we can control the vibe of the night more, since we are playing last and have a longer set. We brought our own light system for the tour, and play our own music in between bands, etc. And the crowds have been more exciting for us because a lot of them know our music a lot more than when we were opening.
HN: What’s going on in the cover of Strange Land? Is there a story behind it?
AS: It's a picture of my second cousin that I found in our attic. He was a very hairy man.
HN: During the tour, what music can be heard from the Yellow Ostrich van and what are mandatory stops that you must check out along the way?
AS: We listen to a lot of different stuff. Lately, it's been nonstop Shania Twain, with a little Aphex Twin every now and then to break it up.
HN: Do you have any prior experiences in Nebraska?
AS: We played in Lincoln a few months ago, and it was great. We haven't played Omaha yet, but I'm looking forward to the show, I've visited Omaha before, and it's a great place.
Steven is a Hear Nebraska contributor. Although Schaaf may come off a little sarcastic, his music is true. Reach Steven at stevena@hearnebraska.org.